“If you ask me, this girl’s more like the saint than our dear goddess is...” another one murmured back.
With a sideways look at Natalia, Lydilia rolled over one of the human-shaped logs that Maiah had struck and sat down on it. She sighed, leaning one elbow on her knee. She was clearly losing her patience. “So, are you next? I would rather make this the last one. I am growing weary,” she grumbled.
“That’s fine. I’m sure we won’t have to have any more rounds after my turn.”
“Hm... You seem rather confident.”
“Naturally. This naughty pleasure that I’ve thought up with my brilliant brain will surely make you swoon, saint or not!”
Sparks flew as Natalia and Lydilia locked eyes head-on. A cold gust of wind swept over the field, stirring up a foreboding air for the stormy battle to come.
“Hey, Dark Overlord,” Magus whispered to Allen. “Don’t you think you should reconsider how you teach morals to that little girl?”
“I’ll give it some thought...” Allen dismissed most criticism with a laugh, but he had to admit the way she talked was a little problematic.
As the grown-ups averted their eyes with grave expressions on their faces, Charlotte gripped her fists in nervous anticipation. “She sounds so confident... I wonder what she could have in mind.”
“There’s only one thing she’d come up with.” Allen shrugged. Though her upbringing made her wild, Natalia still had childlike sensibilities too. No doubt she would bring up her most cherished memory to confront Lydilia.
Just as Allen expected, Natalia dug into her big rucksack and pulled out her precious items one after another. “Here, choose whichever picture book you like! As a special treat, I’ll read it aloud for you!”
“A...picture book?” Lydilia growled, her eyebrow twitching in irritation.
What Natalia brought were picture books of all genres. From simple ones for learning letters to stories with adorable animals and classic folk tales, there was a wide range of books to tempt any reader’s tastes.
“Ooh...that’s a pretty good idea,” Eluka said. “It does bring back memories.”
“I still have my old picture books back at my parents’ house,” Miach said.
“Yep, I had my favorites too.”
Eluka, Miach, and the others were all chattering to each other excitedly now. It was surprisingly a blind spot for everyone, so they were impressed by Natalia’s choice. Lydilia, however, wasn’t amused. She scowled in disgust and pushed away the picture books that Natalia offered.
“I am not interested in such infantile books. Take them away,” she ordered.
“Hmph, you know you want to,” Natalia countered. “Think of it as getting back in touch with your inner child.” A seven-year-old girl talking about becoming a child again—it was a peculiar scene, but Natalia herself was utterly serious. She didn’t give up even when Lydilia shoved back the books. “My favorite memory,” she said with a hint of pride, “is my dear sister reading me picture books. You might remember this because you were inside her, but...” She scratched her cheek a little bashfully and went on, “You lost your life at a young age. People would call your life tragic. But even someone like you...must have a memory or two that warms your heart, like your family reading you a picture book?”
“Wh-What—?!” Lydilia blurted out, clenching her fists. Her whole body trembled, and she pierced Natalia with a furious glare. Like an explosion, she shouted, “That has nothing to do with me!”
“Huh?”
Just as Natalia’s eyes went round in surprise, a violent blast ripped through the field. Its searing hot breath would have scorched the lungs of anyone in the vicinity, and a direct hit would have turned all into ashes, no matter how sturdy a species. But the blast died down in a moment.
“Well, you’re a real handful of a student,” Allen said.
“Oh...D-Dark Overlord...” Natalia blinked a few times in Allen’s arms. Since he’d rushed out and snatched her away in a split second, she had no burns. The others were also saved by a hair’s breadth, protected by the magic barriers cast by Eluka and Gosetsu. But the human-shaped logs that Maiah had used were charred black. The blast had been powerful and far-reaching.
She’s not a legendary saint for nothing... Allen was secretly impressed, but he glared sharply at Lydilia. “Watch it, Lydilia!”
“Eep!”
“You’ve crossed a line! You could’ve hurt Natalia! Apologize to her right now!”
Anyone would have agreed that Lydilia was at fault. But she shook her head petulantly. Her airy, cynical tone vanished, and she even started stomping her feet. “Oh shut up shut up shut up shut up!!! It’s...it’s not my fault... I haven’t done anything wrong!”
Light flooded out of Lydilia’s body.
“Hey, wait!” Allen warned.
But the glow soon faded away, leaving behind Lydilia—or rather, Charlotte—blinking in confusion. She glanced all around her. “U-Um...? What happened?”
“Lydilia went into hiding inside you. Do you feel any different than usual?” Allen asked.
“No... I’m fine, but...” Charlotte was downcast. “Oh!”
“Dear sister!” Natalia flung herself onto Charlotte, wiping her eyes in between sniffles. “I... I was so scared... Why did she get so angry at me?”
“Don’t worry, Natalia,” she said, giving her little sister a hug. “Allen, thank you for protecting her.”
“It’s nothing. I just did as a teacher should.” With a wry smile, he ruffled Natalia’s hair as she sobbed. “And you acted like a true student of mine. Poking precisely at the opponent’s weak spot.”
“Did she...hate picture books that much?” Natalia asked.
Allen nodded slowly. “Well, I’ll explain later.” Every small detail that had been puzzling him had now been arranged into a clear picture.
“Lydilia...” Charlotte murmured anxiously, knitting her brows a little. “Do you think she’s okay?”
“Hm. Did you notice something too, Charlotte?”
“I could feel her emotions...” She squeezed her hands over her heart as if she was in pain and looked down at her toes. “She was very, very sad. Like her heart was being torn apart...”
“Oh... D-Did I say something that cruel?” Natalia blurted out in a panic. “What should I do, Dark Overlord...?”
“Don’t worry about it—she got even with you.” Allen patted her head. He cast his eyes over the whole group. “As you can see, that’s how things stand. Sorry to send you away after you’ve all gathered to help, but I’ll deal with her myself.”
“Well, I could see that coming...” Groh and the other men murmured to each other.
“We can’t handle someone like that.”
“But what the hell was that outburst...?”
They all seemed startled by the saint’s sudden fury, and none of them had any clue what had triggered it.
Meanwhile, Roo tugged at Allen’s sleeve with a low snarl. “So, what’s the plan? More naughty lessons?”
“Of course. Something so wicked that it goes against the very reason of this world.” The corners of Allen’s lips curled up in a mischievous grin. “All right, it’s time to go home and get ready for a party.”